As I watch the different churches out there I am starting to notice a common theme, “The Cookie-Cutter Church”. There are a ton of resources for all of us to use but what I am starting to see scares me a little.
Churches have become just a business model and I don’t think that is what God wanted for churches. Does a church need to be successful? I guess that depends on what you call successful?
If you mean does it need to be in the soul winning business? Then YES, it does. Does it mean that it needs to be in the helping spiritual growth business? Then YES to that too! BUT if you mean that it needs to have a lot of people then NO.
I am not slamming all the resources that are out there as this is a good thing but I am starting to hear preachers say follow what we have put together and your church will grow. Is that what God wants?
I don’t think he wants growth in that way but instead in the pastor who helps his members spiritually grow. Ask yourself, if you are growing fast right now, are your people growing spiritually? Some of the recent comments I have seen about church are WOW, the music is awesome and things like that.
If that is what got you there then that is still great but what will keep you there? Until you connect people with Jesus Christ, you will not have what God wanted. Our whole mission is about Jesus. Jesus is the answer to our problems not the music. Believe me I fall right here as I love our worship services but I have to remember that it’s not about the music, it’s about Jesus and my relationship with Christ.
We as Christians have 2 callings, one is the calling to Jesus (Relationship) and the other is a calling for Jesus (Purpose). When I recently heard this I thought there is so much power in those words.
It has always been and always will be about Jesus and when you make it about any other thing then you have watered down the word.
So ask yourself, are you making it about Jesus? If not, ask why you aren’t and ask God to guide you back to a relationship with Jesus. Until we develop that relationship first, we will not be able to pursue God’s purpose for our lives because his purpose will always be for Jesus.
We have to get out of this mindset that all churches have to look a like. There are great ideas from different churches but is this God’s calling for your church? God is creating church to be uniquely different. Remember that we are all different and we all grow in different ways so if all the churches became the same then we would miss a whole lot of people.
Embrace your uniqueness in your church! You don’t have to be try to be everything to everyone. Find out what God’s purpose for your church is and focus there. God will bring the right people to your church if you allow him to work in and through you.
Just don’t sell out to this cookie-cutter world as one-size fits all. That doesn’t exist. Keep Jesus as the focus and move forward.
I hope you take what I am saying here the right way. In no way am I saying all these things are bad because there are a lot of great things going on but what I am saying is that God has a plan to define the uniqueness of your church and every church has it.
Be Inspired or Be Left Behind!
Chris Benton